Border trade with China from Lipulekh pass likely to resume from coming summer
Border trade with China from Lipulekh pass likely to resume from coming summer
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, March 19
The border barter trade with China from Lipulekh pass in Pithoragarh district is likely to resume this summer after a gap of six years. Pithoragarh District Magistrate has instructed the concerned officials and agencies involved in border trade with China from Lipulekh pass, situated in the district, to get prepared for the said trade in session from June to September, after the instruction received from Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan.
“The process of intimating the concerned officials and agencies to get ready for border trade with China is being initiated after Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued no objection note for resumption of border trade with China from Lipulekh pass, situated in Pithoragarh district,” said Ashish Bhatgai, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.
Vikram Misri, the Indian Foreign Secretary, has issued a letter to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary on March 12, 2026.”The letter mentioning no-objection notes from Ministry of Home affairs and department of commerce, for resumption of border trade with China from Lipulekh pass route and has requested the Uttarakhand government to direct the concerned agencies and departments of state government to ensure that border trade resume as per trading session in 2026,” District Magistrate said.
The Foreign Secretary, has also requested the state government to share contact numbers of local officers concerned with said trade, for, these could be shared with Chinese side for coordination between the local authorities of the both countries.
“We have today issued instructions to officials related with arranging trade passes, banks assigned with currency exchange work at Lipulekh pass, Custom officers, and SDM of Dharchula, to prepare a detailed working plan for the trading session this year in which arrangements of enroute camps, communication, banking, security, medical lodging and other required facilities for traders could be ensured at the earliest,”said Ashish Bhatgai.
The border trade with China from Lipulekh pass, was resumed in the year 1992 after the 1962 Indo-China war and again stopped in 2019 during Covid epidemic. Since then Indian traders who used to trade with Chinese territory of Tibet from centuries are waiting the trade to resume.
“The District Magistrate has called our meeting on March 23, to sort out our problems. We are happy if the trade resumes after it was stopped in 2019. We will also be able to recover our goods dumped in stores in Taklakot mart of Tibet since 2019,” said Jeewan Singh Rongkali,President of Seemant Vyapar Sangathan, Pithoragarh, the organisation that deals with problems of traders who take part in border trade with China from Lipulekh pass.
